All language subtitles for 508541_06_04 - Helping the actor do his or her job.en

- Helping your talent do their job well

doesn't exclusively involve
communication or technique.

You also need to be open
to practical approaches

in working with talent.

When you're on set, one of
the best things you can do

is give an actor time and
space they need to get focused.

Leave them alone to do their job.

You can also give them the
tools they need to do their job.

Sometimes you'll be surprised
at what form that takes.

I was working on an industrial
set, and the actor was having

a lot of trouble with the
delivery of her lines.

She'd only gotten the
script two nights before

and it was a 15-minute production,

so she was having a little trouble.

Every time we tried to do a
take, she stumbled on her lines.

So finally we came up with a solution.

We actually had them record
their lines on their iPhones

and then play them back in their ears

as they were delivering them.

There wasn't a budget for a teleprompter,

so we didn't have much choice
but to try this option.

This is the only way we could
get through all of the script

in the time we had allotted.

Here's her doing it before
and after the ear prompter.

- Sorry, I'm going to
give it one more quick ...

I was given one quick little sneak peek,

but it's taking longer than ...

Okay.

- [Interviewer] So what
specifically did the PUC say?

- Well, we haven't seen
the actual directive yet,

but apparently some of our
Customer Service Representatives,

CSRs, have been very rude
when talking with customers.

It's a simple problem.

- [Original female
speaker] Let's just go back

to the talking.

- Talking to customers. Okay.

Well, we haven't seen
the actual directive yet.

But apparently some of our
Customer Service Representatives,

or CSRs, have been very rude
when talking to customers.

Luckily, it's a simple problem to fix.

That's why I called you in right away.

We just need a little training
program on customer courtesy.

Maybe a half day or so, to
emphasize the importance of

great customer service and to
give our phone-based employees

some tips on how to respond
effectively to customers.

I'd like to start the training
soon, maybe in a month or so?

- [Original female speaker]
When you're on set, don't forget

the little practicalities.

Here's an actor that said,

"Feed me well and give me frequent breaks.

Not pampering, but respecting
and letting me do my job

without distractions.

A well-fed actor is an
actor who can concentrate,

and it's a lot better to let
us step out for five than to

spend fifteen failing to get
the shot because we're gassed".

Another practicality to keep
in mind are your call times,

and when people are
scheduled to come on set.

Another actor said, "Stagger
call times based on need.

I know this is a tough one
because a director may not know

exactly when they are ready for an actor.

But to have someone there at
8am when their scene is the 8th

one of the day seems a bit too cautious.

It drains actors' energy or,
worse, fuels negative energy

when they sit around all day".

Remember that your talent are not robots

that need maintenance.

They're people that need
cultivation and respect.